I honesty think it would be better travel wise if they got an OHL team

No, they would still be better in the dub, they would slot into the East with Brandon, Regina, MJ, PA, Saskatoon etc. I'd rather bus West on the TCH for WHL teams than bus East through the Canadian shield to get to the OHL

The biggest issue is whether or not TNSE thinks it's worth it to block off potential concert dates (read: huge money-makers) for junior hockey games, which wouldn't bring in anywhere near the same revenue.

I've always maintained that it's too bad nothing was done to retrofit the old Winnipeg Arena, turning it into a commercial space with a scaled down rink that could've also served as a medium-sized concert venue.

OMGGG this is awesome!!! I really hope this actually happens!!!! I would go to sooo many games. I was actually thinking about this about a month ago, which let me to find out the winnipeg jets name was actually the first name of our WHL team. I'm only 27 so this was news to me lol.

Quote:

The Winnipeg Monarchs were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1967 to 1977 under three names. The team played as the Winnipeg Jets from 1967 to 1973; the Winnipeg Clubs from 1973 to 1976, and the Winnipeg Monarchs from 1976 to 1977. The Monarchs franchise played at Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The team was the direct namesake for the Winnipeg Jets professional hockey club that began play in 1972; the junior Jets changed their name to disambiguate itself in 1973.

In 1977 the Monarchs moved to Calgary to become the Calgary Wranglers. They are today the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

OMGGG this is awesome!!! I really hope this actually happens!!!! I would go to sooo many games. I was actually thinking about this about a month ago, which let me to find out the winnipeg jets name was actually the first name of our WHL team. I'm only 27 so this was news to me lol.

yes, Ben Hatskins favourite NFL team was the New York Jets and when he started up the Winnipeg franchise in the WCHL, he named it the Jets
it had pretty good crowds incl several sellouts against Flin Flon Bombers back in the days of Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach, but once he purchased the WHA franchise and pro hockey came here, major junior hockey crowds dropped off a lot.
I remember going to Clubs games when my brother played, and it was pretty sparsely attended, mostly family, friends of players, etc

not to say it couldn't work, but being the farthest east team makes it a challenge for them and the rest of the league

I would support the heck out of it but I'm also not sure of some of the logistics as others have pointed out in this thread and the one way back when. MTS is a busy place and it'd be hard to fit those weekend games in. But since they wouldn't conflict with Jets home games I'd go to every one.

I agree they should've done something with Winnipeg Arena. That lot was bare for a very long time.

Ottawa 67's to Winnipeg would be a 24hr bus trip. While I would love to see a MB based OHL team, I really doubt they would approve one.

There are WHL teams that are at least that far away, the problem is the OHL is heavily centered around a small geographical area and they really like their very easy travel schedule. The WHL travel is a nightmare compared to OHL travel, but they accept it as part of life.

In theory I like the idea, but in practice I wouldn't be able to support it much. The Jets pretty much occupy all my available hockey watching time. Though I'd probably try to catch a few games live since it would be a lot cheaper to take my little guy.

There are WHL teams that are at least that far away, the problem is the OHL is heavily centered around a small geographical area and they really like their very easy travel schedule. The WHL travel is a nightmare compared to OHL travel, but they accept it as part of life.

Agree: was just using that as an example. Most OHL teams are within 1-3 hours from each other - that's probably a more damning reason that it wouldn't happen than an outlier. That said, most teams would be 18-24 hours from Winnipeg.

yes, Ben Hatskins favourite NFL team was the New York Jets and when he started up the Winnipeg franchise in the WCHL, he named it the Jets
it had pretty good crowds incl several sellouts against Flin Flon Bombers back in the days of Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach, but once he purchased the WHA franchise and pro hockey came here, major junior hockey crowds dropped off a lot.
I remember going to Clubs games when my brother played, and it was pretty sparsely attended, mostly family, friends of players, etc

not to say it couldn't work, but being the farthest east team makes it a challenge for them and the rest of the league

Partially true.

Hatskin and Sonny Werblin were friends and both wanted to own a team called the Jets. Hatskin owned 3 teams in the MJHL and there were rumours of a western junior league. When the MAHA approved it, Hatskin got a franchise and named it the Jets. ITM, Werblin bought the New York Titans of the AFL and renamed them.

In theory I like the idea, but in practice I wouldn't be able to support it much. The Jets pretty much occupy all my available hockey watching time. Though I'd probably try to catch a few games live since it would be a lot cheaper to take my little guy.

I wouldn't make it to many either unless the Jets had a top notch prospect playing there.

It's one thing for Winnipeg to look at getting a WHL team, but the question that needs to be asked before getting all excited about it, is, does the WHL want Winnipeg?

This has been talked about numerous time since the last WHL team ( Winnipeg Warriors ) left in 1984 and each time the talk starts the WHL kind of throws cold water on it. The issue isn't so much that a team in Winnipeg would have tough travel ( Brandon being 2.5 hours away and then another 4 hours to Regina ), but you are making the teams that have to come to Winnipeg have more difficult travel as well. IMO, TNSE would have to do a serious sales job to the WHL to even get them to consider allowing a team in Winnipeg.

It's too bad, but Winnipeg just isn't in a good place geographically to join a bus league. Even if it were possible, joining the NAHL or USHL, which have teams in North Dakota, is still a lot of travel.

Hatskin and Sonny Werblin were friends and both wanted to own a team called the Jets. Hatskin owned 3 teams in the MJHL and there were rumours of a western junior league. When the MAHA approved it, Hatskin got a franchise and named it the Jets. ITM, Werblin bought the New York Titans of the AFL and renamed them.

Wasn't aware of the Werblin connection, but didn't the New York Jets name began in 1963

from their website:
1963: If the AFL was going to survive long term it needed a New York presence, thus finding stable owners for their New York franchise became the league's top priority. Eventually the team was sold to a group headed by Sonny Werblin for $1 Million. Things were already looking up for the team, as a new stadium awaited them in 1964, since the new stadium was next to LaGuardia Airport; the team's name was changed from Titans to Jets.

Unless true north was to build a new smaller arena on that site. It couldnt happen.

From what I understand, they have an agreement with the city saying the can be the only indoor venue.

Someone in hf land must have specific details of that.

True but just outside the city, The Red River Ex announced one year a go they were
looking at building an arena, which was rumored to be about 5,000 capacity.

It was speculated that they may try to get WHL team for the arena.
Maybe True North wants to beat them to the punch to get the WHL team.

From CBC

A major $140-million development is being touted for Winnipeg's western fringe at Red River Exhibition Park.

The Red River Exhibition Association hopes the City of Winnipeg will approve plans for a new arena, hotel, theatre, restaurants and shops in the area near Assiniboia Downs racetrack just west of the Perimeter Highway.

Red River Ex CEO Garth Rogerson said the proposed facilities would not compete with the downtown Convention Centre or MTS Centre. The project would be privately funded, he said, driven by demand.

"No matter what you do to the Convention Centre, you cannot have a heavy equipment show, or an agriculture-based show," said Rogerson. "You can't have cows downtown. And yet those kinds of shows are extremely profitable for the city that brings it in."

Rogerson said he hopes to have the development plan approved by the city later this year.

"Can we compete with Regina? Of course we can. Can we compete with Saskatoon? Of course we can. There's a lot of assets within this community to sell. And we just don't have the facility to support it."

It has been reported that local developer Shindico is preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars on a massive commercial development at the western edge of the city.

Shindico's plan reportedly includes one or two hotels, a movie multiplex and restaurants on land just west of the Perimeter Highway.